Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, popularly known as 'Balen', has entered national politics by joining the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and is projected as their prime ministerial candidate for the upcoming March 5 elections. Previously a rapper whose music criticized political parties, Shah won the mayoral election as an independent, defeating established party candidates. His victory, attributed to public disillusionment with traditional politics, was largely driven by social media campaigns and resonated with youth seeking change.